Metallica - Ride The Lightning Album Review

Track 1: Fight Fire With Fire
This one starts with an acoustic intro that sounds like it could be in Clash Of The Titans. (The original, not that trash remake.) Then, it punches me in the face with the fastest riff Metallica ever wrote. It’s an awesome song to open the album, even if it is a relatively generic thrash metal song. 9/10

Track 2: Ride The Lightning
This is one of Metallica’s best title tracks, in my opinion. Even if it does feature hands down James Hetfield’s most annoying vocal performance. It still has a great riff and the solo is probably the best solo Metallica has ever done. It’s an improvement over the opening track, even if there wasn’t that much to improve upon. It’s way better than the overrated Master Of Puppets. (The song, not the album.) 10/10

Track 3: For Whom The Bell Tolls
This is everyone’s favorite for some reason. I never understood why everyone loves this song so much. It’s just a generic Metallica song. It’s got a great intro, and that’s it. I don’t even think there’s a solo, it’s just a pretty good song. 7/10

Track 4: Fade To Black
Here’s the ballad of the album that actually drew inspiration from Judas Priest’s Beyond The Realms Of Death. While it’s not quite as good as that song, it’s still an amazing song. It’s got the basic format of a ballad; the soft intro, it gets kind of heavy, and it has a really big guitar solo. Basically Metallica’s Beyond The Realms Of Death. It’s still one of Metallica’s best, and it’s not quite my favorite from the album, but it’s one of them. 10/10

Track 5: Trapped Under Ice
Here’s another heavy track. By that I mean it’s very heavy on lead guitar. Basically just a bunch of tiny Kirk Hammett guitar solos.
Even though it’s very heavy on the lead, the riff is still awesome and it’s a strong track to start off the second side of the album. 9.5/10

Track 6: Escape
This song literally wasn’t supposed to be on the album. Even Metallica hates it. But I still like it. It’s definitely not the weakest on the album, like some people would have you believe. I think the weakest is For Whom The Bell Tolls. But that’s just my opinion. Judge it for yourself. 9.5/10

Track 7: Creeping Death
Now, this is the high point of the album for sure. It is, in my opinion, the best song on the entire album. It features hands down one of my favorite Metallica riffs, and the solo is indescribable. I literally can’t describe it. 10/10

Track 8: The Call Of Ktulu
This used to be my favorite Metallica song. It’s my 2nd favorite Metallica instrumental, behind only Suicide And Redemption.
The intro is very calm, and then it jumps straight into the riff. A lot of the bass on this song sounds exactly like guitar, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. 10/10

Overall rating: 75/80 OR 94/100
I’m not sure what my favorite Metallica album is. But this one is almost flawless.

Comments

I agree about Creeping Death. It is my favorite Metallica song, which is also on my favorite Metallica album. - cjWriter1997 (2/5/2018)

Not quite my favorite Metallica song (my favorite from Metallica is The Outlaw Torn), but one of my favorites. - visitor (2/10/2018)

My friend says the outlaw torn sucks. what do you have to say to him? he thinks rtl is their best. - awesomedp900 (2/24/2018)

Well, I’d like to know why he thinks it sucks... - visitor (2/24/2018)

Ok, I sure will. The outlaw torn is a masterpiece! - awesomedp900 (2/24/2018)

Nice review, despite the fact that I'm not the keenest on the album, I still can see why others would like it. I also agree with you about For Whom the Bells Tolls being oddly simplistic - visitor (2/25/2018)

Thanks. FWTBT is over simplistic for a Metallica song. I don’t think a song needs to be technical to be good, but the song just bores me. If it had a solo or something I’d like it more. - visitor (2/25/2018)